Administratrix of



(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 1.

H. M. TAAPFE, Deod. J. MELEY, Administratrix. AUTOMATIG GUARD OR TRACK GLEARER.

No. 326,668. Patented Sept. 22, 1885.

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H I 4 x- ,4/J \l\l INVENTEIR.

1 if i 7 r fl4 (No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 2. H. M. TAAFFE, Decd. J. MELEY, Administratrix. AUTOMATIC GUARD 0R TRAGK GLEARBR.

No. 326,668. Patented Sept. 22, 1885.

W1TNE55E5 INVENTEIR )/Wf; %7Z ./2/ J (No Model.) 3 Sheets-SheefiB. H. M. TAAPFE, Decd.

J. MELEY, Administratflx. AUTOMATIC GUARD 0R TRACK GLEARER.

No. 326,668. Patented Sept. 22, 1886.

WI TNESSES WWW/374W INVENTUR N W y y Xww/m JANE MELEY, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, ADMINISTRATRIX OF HENRY M. TAAFFE, DECEASED.

AUTOMATIC GUARD OR TRACK-CLEARER.

QPECIPICATION' forming part of Letters Patent No. 326,668, datedseptember 22, 1885.

Application filed May 4, 1885.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that HENRY M. TAAFFE, late a citizen of the United States, and residing at San Francisco, in the county of San Francisco and State of California, now deceased, did invent a new and useful Improvement in Track-(Bearers, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to improvements in track-clearers for railroad-cars, and it is especially applicable to the cars or dummies of endless-cable railroads and the objects of the improvement are, first, to provide a cowcatcher 0r pilot with an outwardly or forwardly projecting transverse bar or bars formed of an elastic or semi-elastic material, which shall first receive the shock from any obstruction encountered upon the track; second, to provide an endless-cable railroad-car with a means whereby the impact from the collision of the dummy or pilot with an obstruction will be automatically and instantly transmitted to the grip mechanism, causing the same to relax its grip upon the cable or to drop the same; third, to provide an endlesscable railroad-car with a cable-gripping de vice so constructed and arranged that the collision of the said car with any obstruction upon the track will cause the pawl and ratchet of the brake mechanism to be instantly disengaged, permitting the gripping-jaws to separate and drop the cable. These objects are accomplished by the means illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a top view showing the platform of a dummy-car with the improved trackclearer applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a bottom view of the same. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional View of the improved track-clearer. Fig. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view of the grip mechanism, showing the position of the parts when the cable is dropped.

Similar letters of reference are used to desi gnate like parts throughout the several views.

A represents the platform or floor of a dummy-car. The forward end of this dummy is provided with a cowcatcher, fender, or pilot, B, consisting of a framework covered with a wire-netting and suitably attached to (No model.)

the under side of the car-floor. Upon the lower edge of the pilot, and near each end thereof, are secured the boxes or bearings O, and through these bearings pass the rods D, provided upon their inner or rear ends with a spiral compression or retractive spring, E, while their outer or forward ends are connected by a metal rod or bar, F, of small diameter, and covered or incased by an indie.- rubber bar or rod, G, which extends the whole length of the rod F, between the two short spring-rods D D, as shown in Fig. 2. The rear ends of the rods D D are pivoted to the arms or rods H H, which constitute the forked end of the rod I, the rear end of which is pivoted to the lower arm of the bell-crank lever J, pivoted or supported by suitable hearings in a slot, K, made in the floor of the car. The upper arm of the bell-crank extends horizontally backward, and is connected by a short link, L, to the lever M, which is centrall pivoted to the forward end of the are N of the grip-frame. The rear end of this said lever M is provided with a longitudinal slot, 0, the object of which will be hereinafter more fully explained.

The grip mechanism consists of two gripping-jaws, P Q, operated by a lever, B, and pawl S engaging with a curved ratchet-bar, T, fully shown in Fig. 4. The arcN is provided with a longitudinal slot, U, (shown in Figs. 1 and 4,) and within the slot the curved or segmental ratchet-barTmoves forward and back, or up and down, being retained in position within the slot by means of the flat links V and WV, the rearlink, W, being pivoted within the slot, near or at the rear end thereof. The forward link, V, has a downwardly-projecting toe or tang, X, extending down past the pivotal point Y of the said link, and when in op eration the tang engages with and enters the slot 0 in the lever M, as shown in Fig. 3.

The operation of the improved track-clearer will be as follows, to wit: When an obstruction is met with upon the track, the elastic rod G first receives the impact of the collision, which moves or forces the said rod backward toward the body of the pilot, and instantly operates through the medium of the connecting spring rods and arms D, H, and I, and the bell-crank lever J, and depresses the slotted end of the lever'arni M, freeing the tang X from the slot in the said lever-arm M, and permitting the ratchet-bar T to rock or drop forward and downward from beneath the pawl S of the leverR, as clearly shown in detail in Fig. 4-. This movement permits the lever B to tilt or drop forward by its own gravity, and releases the pressure of the gripping-jaws upon the cable, allowing the upper jaw to rise sufficiently high to permit the cable to pass freelyvthroug-h the grip, or else drop out entirely, and the car, from being freed fromthe pulling or drawing action of the cable, will be more readily brought to a standstill by the wheel-brakes, which should be applied simultaneously with the occurrence of the above-described operations. When the obstruction has been removed from in front of the elastic bar G, the action of the retractive springs IE will cause the elastic rod and the short rods D D to shoot forward to their in the name of JANE MELEY,as administratrix of the estate of the late HENRY M. TAAFFE, is-

1. A track-clearer having its pilot B pro vided with a forwardly-projecting transverse elastic or semi-elastic bar, G, strengthenedvby a central sustaining metal rod, F, held in position by spring'rods E E, and adapted to receive and transmit the impact of collision with an object upon the trackway to the grip mechanism.

2. A track-clearer having a transverse bar, G, situated in advance of the pilot B, sustained by spring-rods D D, and connected by means of arms or rods H I, bell-crank lever J link L, and lever M,witl1 the grip mechanism,substantially as shown, for the purpose set forth and specified.

3. In a trackclearer, the cable-grippingdevice having a hinged ratchet-bar, T moving within a slot, U, in the grip-arc N, and oper ated by a toe or tang, X, engaging with a slot in the lever lVLconnectcd by links, bell-crank, and rods, with a transverse bar, G, located in advance of the pilot B, substantially as shown and set forth, for the purpose specified.

O. W. M. SMITH, (hills. 1]. KELLY.

estate of the late Henry JlI. 

